Cochlosoma sp. infection was identified in a single case among 60 stunted diarrheic native turkey poults, Meleagris galopavo. A large number of the flagellated parasites was found free or within the intervillous spaces of the jejunum, ileum and cecum. Moderate enteritis was associated with the parasites. In TEM studies of the parasagittal sections of the parasite, a prominent ventral sucker like disc and flagella emerging from an opening on the ventrodorsal surface of the pyriform uninuclear parasite were found. The morphological characteristics of this protozoan match with those described for Cochlosoma anatis. The parasite could be considered as an intestinal pathogenic protozoan causing stunting and diarrhea in turkeys in Iran.
Animals ; Cecum/parasitology/pathology ; Enteritis/diagnosis/parasitology/veterinary ; Ileum/parasitology/pathology ; Iran ; Jejunum/parasitology/pathology ; Organelles/ultrastructure ; Poultry Diseases/*diagnosis/*parasitology ; Protozoan Infections, Animal/*diagnosis/*parasitology ; Trichomonadida/cytology/*isolation & purification ; Turkeys

Feline intestinal tritrichomoniasis by Tritrichomonas foetus was first recognized in USA in 1999 and has so far been reported from UK, Norway, Switzerland, and Australia, but not from the Far East Asian countries. In November 2008, 2 female and male littermate Siamese cats, 6-month old, raised in a household in Korea were referred from a local veterinary clinic with a history of chronic persistent diarrhea. A direct smear examination of fecal specimens revealed numerous trichomonad trophozoites which were isolated by the fecal culture in InPouch(TM) TF-Feline medium. A PCR testing of the isolate based on the amplification of a conserved portion of the T. foetus internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions (ITS1 and ITS2) and the 5.8S rRNA gene, and the molecular sequencing of the PCR amplicons confirmed infection with T. foetus. This is the first clinical case of feline intestinal trichomoniasis caused by T. foetus in Korea.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cat Diseases/*parasitology ; Cats ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/parasitology/*veterinary ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Protozoan Infections, Animal/*parasitology ; Republic of Korea ; Tritrichomonas foetus/genetics/*isolation & purification

Pentatrichomonas hominis is considered a commensal protozoan in the large intestine of a number of mammalian hosts, such as cats, dogs, and non-human primates. The resulting infections, which can induce diarrhea, have been attributed to opportunistic overgrowth of P. hominis. This study was performed to confirm the P. hominis infection and its molecular characterization from the feces of puppies with diarrhea. Fecal samples were obtained from 14 German shepherd puppies with diarrhea over 1 week (7 females and 7 males, 2-9 months of age) residing on a dog farm in August 2007. Species-specific PCR assay identified P. hominis 18S rRNA genes in 3 of the 14 puppies (1 female and 2 males; 1 aged 2 months and 2 aged 9 months). This phylogenetic analysis established that P. hominis belonged to the 1st clade, which is comprised of Bos taurus and Felines.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cluster Analysis ; DNA, Protozoan/chemistry/genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry/genetics ; Diarrhea/parasitology/*veterinary ; Dog Diseases/*parasitology ; Dogs ; Feces/*parasitology ; Female ; Genes, rRNA ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods ; Protozoan Infections, Animal/*parasitology ; RNA, Protozoan/genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics ; Republic of Korea ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Homology ; Trichomonadida/*classification/genetics/*isolation & purification

A microsporidian parasite Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the most common microorganism recognized in AIDS patients, and slow scientific progress is attributed to our inability to propagate the parasite. We report upon the development of a system of propagation using the pig biliary system. The parasite spores were continuously detected in the bile samples post onset of spore shedding in the gall bladder, which suggests that this organism maintain persistent infection in the biliary system and that the hepatobiliary tree may represent a reservoir of infection. In conclusion the biliary tree is an adequate niche for the propagation of E. bieneusi. This work has also resulted in the development of a procedure of ultrasound-guided cholecystocentesis for aspirating biles. This is a simple and non-surgical procedure, and creates no signs of clinical complications in the livers and the gall bladders after dozens of separate attempts. Thus, this is a very useful and safe technique for the aspiration of bile from live animals.
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/*parasitology ; Animals ; Bile/parasitology ; Biliary Tract/*parasitology ; DNA, Protozoan/analysis ; Disease Models, Animal ; Enterocytozoon/*growth & development/physiology ; Feces/parasitology ; Gallbladder/parasitology/ultrasonography ; Immunosuppression/veterinary ; Microsporidiosis/*parasitology ; Paracentesis/methods/veterinary ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Specimen Handling/methods/veterinary ; Spores, Protozoan/isolation & purification/physiology ; Swine

This study aimed to measure the levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin 1 (IL-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and nitrite/nitrate (NOx) in serum of dogs experimentally infected with Rangelia vitalii. Twelve female mongrel dogs were divided into 2 groups; group A (uninfected controls) composed by healthy dogs (n=5) and group B consisting of dogs inoculated with R. vitalii (n=7). Animals were monitored by blood smear examinations, which showed intraerythrocytic forms of the parasite on day 5 post-infection (PI). Blood samples were collected through the jugular vein on days 0, 10, and 20 PI to determine the serum levels of IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-1, IL-6, and NOx. Cytokines were assessed by ELISA quantitative sandwich technique, and NOx was measured by the modified Griess method. Cytokine levels (IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-1, and IL-6) were increased (P<0.01) in serum of infected animals. Serum levels of NOx were also increased on days 10 PI (P<0.01) and 20 PI (P<0.05) in infected animals. Therefore, the infection with R. vitalii causes an increase in proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide content. These alterations may be associated with host immune protection against the parasite.
Animals ; Chemistry Techniques, Analytical ; Cytokines/*blood ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dogs ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Nitric Oxide/*blood ; Piroplasmida/*immunology ; Protozoan Infections/*immunology/parasitology/pathology ; Serum/chemistry

To evaluate the efficacy of ronidazole for treatment of Tritrichomonas foetus infection, 6 Tritrichomonas-free kittens were experimentally infected with a Korean isolate of T. foetus. The experimental infection was confirmed by direct microscopy, culture, and single-tube nested PCR, and all cats demonstrated trophozoites of T. foetus by day 20 post-infection in the feces. From day 30 after the experimentally induced infection, 3 cats were treated with ronidazole (50 mg/kg twice a day for 14 days) and 3 other cats received placebo. Feces from each cat were tested for the presence of T. foetus by direct smear and culture of rectal swab samples using modified Diamond's medium once a week for 4 weeks. To confirm the culture results, the presence of T. foetus rRNA gene was determined by single-tube nested PCR assay. All 3 cats in the treatment group receiving ronidazole showed negative results for T. foetus infection during 2 weeks of treatment and 4 weeks follow-up by all detection methods used in this study. In contrast, rectal swab samples from cats in the control group were positive for T. foetus continuously throughout the study. The present study indicates that ronidazole is also effective to treat cats infected experimentally with a Korean isolate of T. foetus at a dose of 50 mg/kg twice a day for 14 days.
Animals ; Antiprotozoal Agents/*administration & dosage ; Cat Diseases/*drug therapy/parasitology ; Cats ; Disease Models, Animal ; Feces/parasitology ; Male ; Parasitology/methods ; Placebos/administration & dosage ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods ; Protozoan Infections/*drug therapy/parasitology ; Ronidazole/*administration & dosage ; Treatment Outcome ; Tritrichomonas foetus/genetics/isolation & purification/*pathogenicity